This 7.3-mile out-and-back has all the highlights you expect from a Smokies outing: trailside streams, old-growth timber stands, and a raging waterfall.

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-Mapped by Tim Johnson

PLAN IT

MAP >> Trails llustrated Clingmans Dome/Cataloochee/Great Smoky Mountains NP ($10, natgeomaps.com) >> View a map of the park at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website. >> Order the USGS topo quads listed above at store.usgs.gov. >> Order a custom map of this route by selecting the "Print MyTopo" option.

GUIDEBOOK: Hiking Trails of the Smokies ($21, smokiesstore.org) details all 150 maintained trails within the park.

PERMITS: Required when camping at a backcountry campsite or shelter (free, reserve up to one month before your trip and pick up in person). Backcountry reservation office: (865) 436-1231, nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/backcountry-camping.htm

CONDITIONS: Check weather at Gatlinburg, TN (37738) Weather

SEASON: The park is open year-round, and our trail scouts have hiked this route in every season. Check for road, trail, and camping closures at nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/temproadclose.htm. Curious about fall foliage? Check nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fallcolor.htm.

Two giant poplars stand guard before massive 7-ft.-diameter poplar, one of the park's largest trees. These old-growth specimens were saved when the park service acquired the property from Champion Fiber Co.